NATO Deputy Secretary General Vershbow visits Jordan

On 21 June, the Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow visited Jordan for bilateral talks in the framework of the Mediterranean Dialogue partnership and met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Nasser Judeh, with H.R.H. Prince Faisal Bin Al Hussain and with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt.Gen. Mashal Mohammad Al-Zaben.

Ambassador Vershbow and his Jordanian interlocutors reviewed the achievements in the implementation of the NATO-Jordan Individual Cooperation Programme, in different areas ranging from political consultations to practical cooperation in areas including military interoperability, education and training, civil emergency planning and trust funds to eliminate obsolete ammunitions and unexploded ordenance for the safety of the civilian population in Jordan.

NATO and Jordan share common security challenges and threats like terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the risk emanating from failing states and they share as well the same aspirations for international security, stability and peace.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan Nasser Judeh

During his visit, Ambassador Vershbow delivered a keynote address at a public diplomacy conference in Amman on "NATO in the New Global Security Era" co-organised by NATO and the Jordanian Institute of Diplomacy. The conference brought together diplomats, academics and representatives of regional think tanks and included presentations by senior Jordanian and NATO officials

"Jordan is a powerful stabilising influence in a tough neighbourhood", said Ambassador Vershbow. "It has played a constructive role in promoting political dialogue and peaceful solutions to the profound challenges here in this region, including through the Middle East Peace Process." The Deputy Secretary General also remarked that: " In the Balkans, Afghanistan and then Libya last year our military forces have worked together very effectively". "That partnership is grounded in the Mediterranean Dialgue process which NATO launched almost 20 years ago". "Jordan has been an active participant in NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue since the beginning".

This cooperation with countries in the Mediterranean underlines the significance of NATO partnerships reaffirmed at the Lisbon and Chicago Summits. As NATO has reformed itself into a very flexible security instrument for Allies, it is committed to strengthening and developing partnerships with countries facing common security challenges.